Following the example set by Jakhira, the other half of Ethereality and driving force behind Nordic Voyage Recordings, Bjorn Salvador presents an exquisitely crafted double header. Leading the way is Kaneq, which was named after one of Greenland's lovely words for snow. Or a greyish-white crystalline deposit of frozen water, to be precise. Created during the shortest, darkest days of winter in Reykjavík, it's probably fair to say it was born out of a longing for light and warmth. What ensues is a delightful chunk of organic house with a twist. The tribal percussion and pumping bassline are paired wonderfully with pretty pads and swirling strings as soothing vocal snippets and sizzling synth arpeggios build the tension. The breakdown offers a sweet meditative moment, introducing a catchy hook before swiftly reviving the energy levels. More magical melodies and additional bliss vocals elate the mood further. An exhilarating production. And now we really have Something Special. Effortlessly interlacing gritty grooves with smooth soundscapes and sultrily sung ad libs, the whole production is built around contrasts. Raw stabs and rasping synth leads dance around the throbbing bass, laying further foundation for the fantastically futuristic juxtaposition. Organic yet highly technological, deep but euphoric. Ethereality offers something different, something else, something special indeed.

Kaneq / Something Special

Bjorn Salvador - Kaneq

Welcome to 'big hell' or as the Icelanders call it: Stóra Víti. The two heads of Ethereality prove once again they're better than one with three new sonic paintings of dramatically beautiful landscapes. We start off the crater rave in Kerið with its floating chords, delicate-yet-catchy piano hook and the bounciest of basslines. A sweeping vintage synth leads the way on our expedition. Was that an elf? Next we find ourselves on the hot springs mountain that is Hverafjall, where someone seems to have left their hangdrums and horns. Fluttering arpeggios prove a welcome travelling companion to the beefier bass and synth chords, with one of Iceland's famed mythological beasts providing peculiarly pleasant poetry. Before heading home we must check out the sunrise over Bláhylur though. Ethereal soundscapes are sprinkled over its thick bass, with soothing ad libs and string ensembles providing a smooth aesthetic. Like a break in the clouds, a cascading synth arpeggio pierces through, reminiscent of the classics of yesteryear, on a different island far away. But with less puddles.

Stóra Víti

Jakhira & Bjorn Salvador - Kerið

Jakhira & Bjorn Salvador - Bláhylur

Our fifth adventure into Ethereality takes us back to ancestral roots, because it's as Irish as Crann Bethadh, the Celtic tree of life in our logo. With pride and pleasure we welcome Richard McMaster from the Emerald Isle, known for releases on Minds Alike, Nordic Voyage Recordings and Canopy Sounds. The trilogy of tracks gets going in leaps and bounds alongside Jakhira with Giant Steps. Resting on a bed of atmospheric pads and felt piano chords, the groovy bassline and angelic cries light the way for stuttering synth plucks. However its the heartfelt string ensembles that really set us sailing on our journey. Next we Trip The Lights Fantastic in an ode to those perfectly-timed flashes of nightlife. Deep rumbling bass and the grandest of pianos shine brightly, accompanied by warm vintage pads, sizzling shakers and catchy congas. But its the pair of lead synths that really take the cake as they flutter and whirl, twist and turn back again. Then we have the Bjorn Salvador remix. Our Nordic brother gives us a deep and thoughtful rendition, with clever use of everything fantastic and trippy from the original. But its all drenched in his special sauce, which offers a completely different, laidback vibe. Theres something in the Éire tonight.

Giant Steps / Trip The Lights Fantastic

Jakhira & Richard McMaster - Giant Steps

Richard McMaster - Trip The Lights Fantastic

The seventh adventure into Ethereality sees Jakhira take us back to the future with two delightful chunks of Cyberpunk. After working together with Bjorn Salvador, Fiordland, Richard McMaster and Kaio Batista on recent releases, we are very happy to get two more productions from his forthcoming album out into the world. The Future Eve is a dark tale that showcases a touch of diversity with its thunderous stabs, rumbling bassline and modulated melodies. Warm pads and slowly evolving strings accompany the astonishing stuttering synth lead as the climax drops into madness. Following up is Escaping Ubiquity with choirs, stabs and arpeggios aplenty. But what really grabs the attention is the stellar impression of a certain Greek god on a particularly legendary synthesizer, sounding like the theme tune of a sci-fi classic that never was.

Cyberpunk

Jakhira - The Future Eve

Our eighth trip into Ethereality welcomes the return of Bjorn Salvador with three testaments to devotion. The co-founder of both Nordic Voyage Recordings and Ethereality is a bona fide audio author whose work always feels like a breath of fresh air, so without further ado lets dig into his second solo release on the label and let the Icelandic breeze take us away again. We open with the uplifting Andakt which is filled with deep rumbling bass, ethereal vocals and melodic stabs. Pretty pads bring forth an unexpected and undeniably trancy chord progression, further emphasized by the extra melodies layered after, but remaining deeply rooted on the dancefloor. Following is Aftur with a more mysterious tone. A sparse piano and spacey pads play off each other and the vocal snippets wonderfully well, with synth riffs and arpeggios joining the juxtaposition. But then the unbelievably beautiful breakdown introduces gorgeous brassy chords and sweet sounding strings for a cunning contrast in moods, showing off some serious emotional elasticity. Rounding off the release is the high energy and very hypnotic Andvari. The bouncing bassline and relentless riffs provide a potent platform for the fantastically phased synth leads and drive of the vocals. Calming keys and brilliant bells bring a short soothing break, but after the drop more madness ensues as spatially enhanced saws wave in and back out again. Devoted to the cause, rebel without a pause.

Andakt

Bjorn Salvador - Andakt

Bjorn Salvador - Andvari

The tenth trip into Ethereality brings the forces of Jakhira and Fiordland together again with a double addition to their arsenal. This time the dynamic duo offer something dark and philosophical, as they examine what it means to be human. Uncanny Valley gets off to a flying start with its heavy-hitting live percussion and the bendiest of basslines. An eerie sensation is brought forward by deep, chugging stabs and a creepy cello. Warm pads and organic melodics enhance emotions and the distorted drums blur the lines between man and machine further. Replicant is much more mechanical in nature. Steady triplets loop around with robotic precision and the vocal chops are not entirely natural. The rugged bassline is flawlessly filtered and there are some wonderfully wonky pieces of ear candy wobbling around wherever you listen. The mutated modular synth arpeggio is met by calming chords for a short break before being whisked off-world, on an acid trip to the ending.

Uncanny Valley

Jakhira & Fiordland - Uncanny Valley

Jakhira & Fiordland - Replicant

Ethereality goes up to eleven with the third and final sampler of Retrofuturism, the debut album by Jakhira which will be out soon. We start off by going Against The Fall Of Night with its lavishly layered organs, acoustic hi hats and more stick hits than you can shake a stick at. A groovy pattern of pitched toms is swiftly joined by felt piano chords and an evolving ensemble of strings before the deep, subtle bassline and ride cymbals arrive to increase the energy level. The spoken vocal makes its plea into the break where pulsating arpeggios and legato celli shine brightly against the dying of the light. We then find ourselves a Stranger In A Strange Land, where the thumping bass is met with organic percussion, punchy piano chords, soaring strings and glistening guitars. But the true beauty here is in the otherworldly sounds, as pitch-bending synth chords and vocoded vocals team up with sforzando brass and makeshift mallets to create something extraordinary. The future is now.

Jakhira - Stranger In A Strange Land

Ethereality rounds off its first year of releases with trip number twelve, a collaboration between driving force Jakhira and label debutant Ben Monday, backed with remixes by Dio S and Northcat. Ben Monday made waves with his track Felt on Nordic Voyage Recordings last year, but perhaps even more so under his other alias White Leaf, with releases on All Day I Dream, Sag & Tre and Amulanga amongst others. The original mix brings together sweeping pads with soothing keys and a scintillating santur to great effect. Subtle synth riffs and a grotesquely groovy bassline provide perfect company for the angelic ad lib vocals that take centre stage. Our two remix artists also appear on the label for the first time. First up is Dio S from Greece, known for his deeper touch which has seen his music released on labels like Seven Villas, Sound Avenue and many more. Warm bass tones and calming chords swirl around the organic percussion with a delightfully delicate bell synth hook providing catchy companionship. Pretty piano chords and subtle stabs add even more depth until the tide comes in. Last but not least is British artist Northcat with quite literally a very different beast. Adding a unique twist, his interpretation transforms Spring Tide into a progressive house dancefloor destroyer. Swapping out the live instrumentation for a flurry of sizzling synths and rumbling bass, it builds to a gargantuan climax and drops harder than a splash down from space. Prepare to get soaked.

Spring Tide

Jakhira & Ben Monday - Spring Tide

Jakhira & Ben Monday - Spring Tide (Dio S Remix)

Jakhira & Ben Monday - Spring Tide (Northcat Remix)

Ethereality presents our first full length feature: Retrofuturism. The debut album of Jakhira is both an exploration of the boundaries of organic house music and homage to its origins and future. It is also an adaptation of sorts, as each individual track is inspired by a particular story and aims to capture its essence. The Naked Sun gets things going with ambient soundscapes and field recordings before being joined by subtle shakers and punchy percussion. Shortly after the kickdrum drops and welcomes flurries of piano, live bass and classic analog and digital synthesizers. Swelling strings and plucked guitars form a bridge to the breakdown where a legato cello and electric guitar lead add a sweet sonic sensation. Against The Fall Of Night provides a perfect daydream with its lavishly layered organs, acoustic hi hats and more stick hits than you can shake a stick at. A groovy pattern of pitched toms is swiftly joined by felt piano chords and an evolving ensemble of strings before the deep, subtle bassline and cymbal rides arrive to increase the energy level. The spoken vocal makes its plea into the breakdown where pulsating arpeggios and weeping celli shine brightly against the dying of the light. Next we set sail for the Sun to Rendezvous With Rama. What begins as a dark and uncharted place slowly reveals its beauty as organic melodics simmer nicely. But this is only temporary as Rama continues to evolve and develop, introducing synth pads and a scintillating arpeggiated lead. It is then broken down with choirs and a full brass band accompanying the reintroduction of the main elements, reaching its climax and beyond. The Future Eve is a darker tale that showcases a touch of diversity with its thunderous stabs, rumbling bassline and modulated melodies. Warm pads and slowly evolving strings introduce the astonishing stuttering synth lead as the climax drops into madness. Neuromancer heads deep into cyberspace where rhythmic reggae guitars and a throbbing sub bassline make it clear we are in dub territory, with timeless tape echoes and spring reverb adding authenticity. Electric pianos and vintage synths play along with the earthy violins, until the track is broken down and presents a softer touch with the fainted hints of Oriental harmonies. Forward The Foundation lifts energy levels whilst keeping its cool with liquid pad ambiences and Afro Latin percussion and idiophones. Arpeggios and driving synth stabs pave the way for the uplifting modular synth lead that forms another highlight. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress brings together synth stabs, organs and a touch of acid which serve as the unlikely companions to the thick bass. Vocal snippets from NASA communications welcome tribal percussion, sweeping pads and a string ensemble as we move ever closer to ignition. Following up is Escaping Ubiquity with choirs, stabs and arpeggios aplenty. But what really grabs the attention is the stellar impression of a certain Greek god on a particularly legendary synthesizer, sounding like the theme tune of a sci-fi classic that never was. We then find ourselves a Stranger In A Strange Land, where the thumping bass is met with organic percussion, punchy pianos, soaring strings and glistening guitars. But the true beauty here lies in the otherworldly sounds as pitch-bending monosynths and vocoded vocals team up with sforzando brass and makeshift mallets to create something extraordinary. And that just leaves us with San Junipero. This very special passion project was created entirely with technology as old as the artist who made it. Vintage drum machines and synthesizers are paired with electric guitar, digital pianos and sultry vocals to great effect. String machines and polyphonic arpeggios provide the perfect vessel to take us back to the future. But thats a story for another time.

Retrofuturism

Jakhira - The Naked Sun

Jakhira - Against The Fall Of Night

Jakhira - Forward The Foundation

Welcome time travelers. Our thirteenth little adventure into Ethereality is another special one. After the seminal Retrofuturism by Jakhira, but before we unleash another year of future classics, we look back at the past year and present Back To The Future. This compilation is a celebration of where we have been so far, inviting each of the five artists who have provided original and fantastic material to remix each other, leaving the choice of whichever production to reinterpret entirely up to them. First up Fiordland turns The Future Eve into a darker tale with carefully crafted creamy textures and tones. Otherworldly sounds and cinematic drums contribute to a bigger picture. Jakhira takes us to the Aftur again with vintage drum machines and live bass lovingly layered over the beauty of the original parts, which are expertly emphasized for good measure. Spirit Of Piopiotahi emerges in Iceland as Bjorn Salvador puts a twist in the tail. Smooth chords and sultry vocals are teasingly tag-teamed with the harder edged synthesizers, breathing fresh Nordic air into a faraway fjord. Richard McMaster revisits Bláhylur next, armed with retro grooves and glitchy arpeggios. Lush pads and heartfelt pianos provide perfect companionship. Finally Ben Monday finishes off with a deep and percussion-heavy rendition of Kerið in his signature style. And as it echoes away at the end, we have concluded the first chapter of our story. Time flies though and there are new stars and returning heroes lined up and waiting, so buckle up. Although where we're going… we don't need roads.

Back To The Future

Jakhira - The Future Eve (Fiordland Remix)

Bjorn Salvador - Aftur (Jakhira Remix)

Jakhira & Fiordland - Spirit Of Piopiotahi (Bjorn Salvador Remix)

Jakhira & Bjorn Salvador - Bláhylur (Richard McMaster Remix)

Jakhira & Bjorn Salvador - Kerið (Ben Monday Remix)

Our fourteenth voyage into Ethereality brings together the talents of Northcat and Fiordland for an epic double header, backed by imaginative interpretations by Jakhira and Pinkowitz. Northcat offers another piece of progressive power after his recent remix of Spring Tide, as he is joined by melodic techno wizard Fiordland, who is no stranger to the label of course after previous collaborations, original solo material and a spellbinding contribution to Back To The Future. We get things going with Seventeen, driven along by a rumbling and rolling bassline with melancholic melodies perfectly playing off each other. Rattle That Chain falls more within the organic house nomenclature, with its Eastern instrumentation, tribal percussion and charming ethnic chant. The first remix is by Jakhira who uses much of the sonic signature of Seventeen but completely transforms its atmosphere with crunchy breakbeats and an infusion of organic elements, with Balearic guitars and sultry ad libs reminiscing about yesteryear. Newcomer Pinkowitz makes his first appearance on Ethereality with a straightforward dancefloor orientated revision of Rattle That Chain. Gated vocals and lush synth chords add extra weight as the synth bass provides great depth. Looking forward to more from him. Nothing lasts forever so enjoy it while it lasts. Serenity now, insanity later.

Seventeen / Rattle That Chain

Fiordland & Northcat - Seventeen

Fiordland & Northcat - Rattle That Chain

Fiordland & Northcat - Seventeen (Jakhira Remix)

Fiordland & Northcat - Rattle That Chain (Pinkowitz Remix)

Our fifteenth expedition into Ethereality presents the first original material from Jakhira since his debut album Retrofuturism, released back in May. But this time it is About Nothing. Some may argue that Yada Yada Yada is a part of the story not to be overlooked, like the difference between getting a free massage and skipping out on the bill, but it is what it is. Timeless drums and sweetly saturated bass notes thump away majestically as forgotten digital synthesizers firmly nestle their way into the nostalgia. Serenity Now is a very different affair with tranquil textures and panoramic pads providing quintessential quiescence. Layers of lushness flow in and out for the entire duration as various instruments introduce themselves and vanish again in equally fabulous fashion. The additional ambient version strips all the drums and bustling arpeggios from the original to create a superbly soothing effect. We will be back with a bang soon though. Giddy up!

Ethereality Recordings

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